I Walk with Vanessa: A Story about a Simple Act of Kindness, by Kerascoët

What can we say...? This wordless picture book is simply fantastic. It is perfect for teaching children about kindness and helping other people. If you’re new to wordless picture books, don’t worry, by following the pictures and the emotions of the characters’ faces, the story easily draws you in.  

Vanessa is a little girl who moves to a new home and starts a new school. At the beginning of the story, we can see that Vanessa is lonely and she runs into some trouble with a classmate. 

Another child notices that Vanessa is having a hard time and, even though she does nothing at the time, the little girl loses sleep that night because she didn’t help Vanessa. The next day, she has an idea about how she could be kind to Vanessa. 

Even though there are no words, the illustrations make it very clear what is happening. Not having words allows the story to develop the more it is read. As your child grows, their understanding of the story will too, and they may even create their own stories based on the images. 

The facial expressions of every character in this story do a fantastic job of showing feelings. The book invites you to take time to focus on different characters and how they might be feeling. 

I Walk with Vanessa tackles the difficult topic of bullying, yet the resounding message that kindness is king shines through. There are some hints and tips at the back of the book for parents and children on how to help someone who is being bullied and how a small act of kindness can really make a difference.  

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